The Laundry Princess
by LoSinG-CoNscIoUsnEsS
Summary: When her Kingdom is attacked, Princess Sakura flees North and works under the pretense of a maid in the uninhabited palace of the Uchiha royal family. However, while cleaning Prince's room one day, she realizes two horrible truths: one, that the palace is in fact inhabited, and two, that the prince has a sinfully beautiful body. Sasusaku. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**The Laundry Princess**

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_Once Upon a Time..._

The blonde girl gasped, grabbing the side of the cabbage cart when an specifically annoying bump caused her to nearly go flying.

"Oi, are you blind! There was a hole in the ground," Ino shouted at the grizzly cart driver, while pushing her damp bangs away from her face.

The old man with thinning, white hair jolted the rickety cart to a stop and turned around with an irritated expression, "Shut'up and stop complaining, or get yourself another ride."

The blonde girl apologized reluctantly causing the old man to sniff in satisfaction. He let out a low whistle and ordered his donkeys to return to their grueling task of pulling the heavy cabbage cart.

"It's only gonna get worse from here," the old man said, "The more north we go the more bumpy it gets. Especially since winter jus ended, we hadn't got a chance to clean the roads yet all the pebbles'n grime, and the rotting animals and..."

Ino let out a breathe as the old man continued to talk, "Stupid commoners."

It was gray and cloudy outside, a light drizzle of rain was falling from the sky, but the sharp cold of winter had faded. Ino grimaced, wiping her face with the side of her cloak. She was filthy, her hair, her skin, her clothes. Never in her life had she expected to be here of all places.

"Ow!" Ino exclaimed, as cabbage kindly bumped into her back. She frowned, and rubbed the sore area.

The blonde glanced at her companion, who had refused to speak ever since they left had the palace. Ino could tell Sakura was mad and guilty, but there was nothing they could do now but go North.

The blonde leaned into her friend, "Sakura, please," she said in a whisper, so that the old man couldn't hear.

The pink haired girl turned sharply to look at Ino, the hood over her head barely allowed the blonde to make out striking green eyes.

"I know," Sakura said in a harsh whisper, "I know its important that I live, but it's hard for me, Ino. It's hard to abandon everyone I love."

The pink haired girl looked down at the moving road, her voice no longer a whisper, "I feel useless."

"Well, I can tell you a few things about feeling useless miss," said the cabbage cart driver from up front, "Once there was a storm and all my cabbages went'a rolling down the hill..."

Ino rolled her eyes at the man's talking, and leaned in to whisper to Sakura again, "We just need to follow Kakashi's plan, everything will be alright. We'll be home before we know it."

Sakura looked at her friend, and smiled, "I hope so."

"Besides," the blonde said, flipping her long hair back, a sly smile graced her face, "I heard the prince was quite the looker."

The cabbage man piped up again, "Good ruler, but he's the biggest bastard I ever known."

Ino laughed, "Say, tell me more about the palace."

Sakura glanced at the blonde, who shrugged in return, "It wouldn't hurt to more about where we're going," Ino told the pink haired girl.

"Well," the cart driver spoke, one hand scratching his rough beard, "the palace is big for sure, quite a lonely place too, I hear. Not many people around since the massacre. Prince Sasuke barely comes, only to check up on the land or parties with the lords here. It's probably hard for him since his parents died in these halls."

The cabbage man pulled the reigns and instructed the donkeys to turn left, "Yep, it's quiet there for sure."

Ino smiled and looked at Sakura, "That's good, we like quiet." Quite and unnoticed was the best way to stay safe.

The old man nodded, "Ya, it's nice. Sometimes when I'm travelin at night, its real silent and..."

The blonde spoke up, interrupting the monologue, "How much longer till we reach the palace?"

"Not too long miss, bout an hour, you workin there?"

"Yes, we're maids," Ino said rehearsing their fake story, "We have a cousin that works there, and she was able to provide us with jobs."

"Awful proper you two are for a couple a maids," he said whistling at his animals to pick the speed, "Not to worry though miss, everyone's got their story."

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**Prologue done! Chapters in the future will be longer. Can anyone guess where the cabbage guy character was inspired from?**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Laundry Princess**

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_there was a prince..._

Grey clouds loomed over the dull city made from black stone. The wooden signs that hung off the shops groaned as chilly winds pushed by. The brown haired man tightened his cloak around himself as he ran across the broken cobble road.

The cold was a sharp contrast to the warmth he had felt while tangled up with his latest lover; however, duty called and he had been forced to leave to delivery some concerning news to his serious prince.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered pushing the large oak doors open. He walked through the dark palace, his lazy steps bounced off the empty hallway as he hurriedly made his way up the marble stairs.

His chocolate eyes roamed casually over the dull red tapestry on the wall, the royal family's emblem was almost covered by the shadows. He sighed, gripping the parchment tighter in his hand before turning towards the familiar pathway that would lead him to the prince's office.

Sasuke would not be happy.

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"Beautiful," Sakura mumbled to herself.

Her gaze was raised to look at the ceiling; it was patterned with bright colors and glass splotches which allowed for light to reflect off and fill the room. Tiny details of flowers and various designs littered the walls, most likely hand painted and filled with the pride of the artist.

Large columns towered over them and at their base were torches with a glowing flame that seemed to dance to silent music. Sakura could imagine the parties that must have been thrown in here. The Grand Ballroom the maids called it, and she now knew why.

The brown haired maid in front snorted at Sakura's reaction, her matted bangs were falling into her face and she heaved a breathe of air, "It's a _grand _pain in the ass to clean," she said reaching down to pick up a mop, "we'll start at this end and work to there."

The pink haired girl nodded obediently, taking a mop for herself. She dipped it in a bucket with soapy water, before ungracefully setting it down on the tiled floor. It was strange doing such menial jobs, she had always watched the servants at her palace work but she had never imagined to be in the same position as them.

Sakura could feel the piercing gaze of the maid's eyes observing her. She was fresh meat in the palace and brought along new gossip for the mundane maids to talk about. The princess self- consciously tugged on the ragged bonnet that covered her pink locks.

The maid barked out a laugh, "Oh, don't worry! I know you, you're one of the old conservative types; it's alright my mother was one. You're going to have trouble finding a husband, now days men like the outgoing women," she winked pointing a thumb towards her.

Sakura gave an understanding nod, with an amused smiled, "Ayame, how long have you worked in the palace for?"

The brown haired maid's coarse hands indicating her familiarity with labor, "Around five years, I started when I was 13. I would help my mom with some of her chores, but two years ago she caught a terrible fever and passed away; they let me take her job."

"I am sorry to hear that," Sakura said sadly, "My father died before I was born, I never got to know him."

Ayame looked up and gave the pink haired a cheeky grin, "If it makes you feel any better, I never knew my father either. Though I think I have it narrowed down to three or four men."

Sakura giggled, "I thought you said the 'conservative type' don't get any action."

The brown haired maid pulled on her loose hair, "Eh, I may have been a bit wrong," she said letting out a laugh.

From somewhere in the shadows a clipped voice appeared, "You two are getting close."

Sakura jumped, turning herself around to stare at her annoyed blonde friend, "Ino! I didn't hear you come in."

"I know," said the blonde girl, flipping her long ponytail to the side, "I was ordered to tell you two that tomorrow Ayame has to polish all the silverware and Sakura you have to do laundry," she spoke with authority laced in her voice.

The pink haired girl groaned, before she lifted her head to look at her blue-eyed friend, "Ino, what are you doing?"

The beautiful friend giggled, a mischievous look on her face as she stuck her tongue out, "The head maid adores me, so she gave me the job of becoming her assistant; I get to tell you what to do," Ino said crossing her arms.

"No fair," Ayame shouted out, "I've been here longer than you, _I _should be Miss Cho's assistant."

Sakura shook her head, amazed at her blonde friend. Even when they were younger Ino could always get out of doing all the hard work.

"It's because Miss Cho said I have the authority and the beauty to be a leader," the blonde said haughtily.

It had taken only two minutes for Ino and Miss Cho, the head maid of the palace, to become friends. They both had an air of superiority and an aesthetic sense that brought them together.

"Oh go on," Sakura said giggling, she turned the blonde and pushed her out of the room, "Unlike you, we actually have work to do. We don't just sit on our asses, Ino-pig!"

The blonde gasped and then glared at her friend, "I will get you back for that Forehead!"

Ayame dipped her her mop back into the bucket, now aggressively mopping the floor, "What a bitch,'" she mumbled, "I don't understand why you're friends with her."

Sakura sighed, "Ino can be very irritating sometimes, but she's my best friend and she's incredibly loyal. We've known each other since we were-"

"Babies, and we're inseparable," Ayame said, completing Sakura's sentence, "So sappy, if I hear more I might throw up, and I sure as hell don't want to clean the floor again."

Before the princess could remark on Ayame's crude statement, the brown haired maid groaned, "We've only done half the ballroom, and it's already night," she said sloppily cleaning the floor, "Hurry, Sakura we have to get up early again tomorrow."

The pink haired girl nodded, "Ayame, if no one's in the palace why do we have to clean the ballroom so thoroughly?"

"That's a good question," the maid said, "We usually clean each room once in three weeks. But for some reason, Miss Cho is making us clean them again," Ayame sighed, "Probably because summer is coming, pollen and dust will be everywhere."

The light in the dwindled, and the room was filled with more ominous shadows that seemed to move behind invisible people.

Ayame shivered, "Now that I remember, the massacre happened in this room," at that thought she seemed to work even faster.

The pink princess looked up in curiosity. Sakura had obviously learned about the massacre, after all the Uchiha Kingdom was their rival. It would have been an opportune time to attack and take over the North, but her mother, the queen, chose to respect the dead, after all she knew the pain of loss.

The Uchiha Massacre had become an incident significant enough to put in everyone's calenders. It was the unfortunate day when the whole Uchiha clan had been gathered for their annual family get-together, and never left. Those who hadn't attended the party were slaughtered in their beds. That is, except for two.

"Ayame," Sakura said carefully, staring up at the dark ceiling, "How did the prince survive?"

The brown maid continued to work silently for a moment, before she spoke "I'm not sure... though I know his elder brother disappeared somewhere. Everyone thought it was him, so we were all shocked when we heard the truth."

The Uchiha kingdom's deity is the fire god, since in the cold weather of the North, one of the most valuable source is heat. Thus, an intricate system of priests and priestesses developed wielding considerable power from the donations and offerings from worshipers.

The Uchiha family was afraid that this new religious group was getting out of hand, and effectively suppressed the faction's power and influence. The head priest, angered by the family and filled with the greed, decided to take the kingdom for himself; he planned to kill the whole Uchiha family and tell all the civilians that it was an act of the fire god.

The plan backfired severely when a mysterious group of cloaked figures revealed the truth and promptly disappeared. The damage was done, however, the prince was left without a family and with the burden of a large kingdom to rule.

Ayame sighed, "Prince Sasuke would have been king, however his brother is still alive and is often spotted around various other kingdoms," the maid scowled, "Itachi left Prince Sasuke to do all his work while he loiters around."

Sakura bit her lip, quickly finishing up the corner she had to do. There was something seriously off about the whole Uchiha massacre story, but she has her own problems to deal with.

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**Anyone catch the reference to Animal Farm** (Ino-pig doesn't have to work)** and the mandate of heaven **(divine right to rule). **Also note that the title of each chapter will eventually make its own story when this fic is done.**

**NEXT CHAPTER: **Sasuke and Sakura meet.

**QUICK QUESTION:** What's your favorite food?


	3. Chapter 3

**The Laundry Princess**

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_who was all alone._

A large pot filled with boiling water and linens bubbled incessantly in a small room located at the corner of the palace. Small beads of perspiration were rolling down the maids' foreheads as they carefully stirred the concoctions. A blonde maid measured out a cup of starch which she threw into the pot, before sitting down with a huff.

"I'm tired," the girl complained, wiping her brow before pouting, "this is no way to be spending the morning."

Sakura nodded in agreement, as she carefully stirred all the bed sheets inside the pot with a long wooden stick. The heat of the black cauldron radiated outwards making the princess hyper-aware of the hot object only a few centimeters from her forearm.

It must have been only six in the morning when Sakura was awoken by a green eyed blonde who introduced herself as Etsuko. She was outspoken and very irritating, with shifty eyes and a cocky smile.

The princess sighed in annoyance; she was used to waking up early in the morning but usually for classes or tutoring. Doing manual labor was tiring and dangerous, especially in their drowsy state. Sakura yawned, the dim lighting in the room was not helping either, not to mention the warmth.

Green eyes scanned her surroundings sullenly, there were six large pots that contained all the linens of the palace. Various maids were littered across the cramped room, each tending to their own work; sorting laundry, stirring pots, or folding clothes.

Etsuko suddenly exclaimed beside her, effectively gaining everyone's attention, "Sakura, what did you do?"

The pink haired girl glanced at the blonde with a confused expression, before her eyes returned to the pot she was stirring and widened. The water had turned a dark purple and the once pristine white linens had been adulterated with the offending pigment.

The blonde girl grabbed the rod from Sakura, "I told you to sort the laundry properly, you must have put a purple cloth inside."

"I-I but, they were all white, I swear," the princess said worriedly, desperately trying to ignore the whispering maids.

Etsuko rolled her eyes, "Obviously you didn't, look at what you did to all the linen! Do you know how expensive they are? Probably worth more than your pay!"

Her dramatic shouting caught the attention of a person passing by. A hefty woman entered, her eyes darkened with liner and her cheeks brightened with a red powder. She held a look of superiority and leadership, perfect for her position in the palace.

"What on earth is going on here?" Miss Cho asked with her booming voice, her angular face glanced around the room before landing on the pink-head and blonde.

The room was silent as the maids watched the tall lady make her way to the large pot, with one glance inside she tsked, before her sharp blue eyes landed on Sakura and Etsuko.

"Who's fault is this?" said the lady glancing between the two maids.

The blonde was quick to answer, "Sakura miss, she didn't sort through the linens properly. She wanted to get the work done quickly so she could go to sleep, I would know, in the morning when I went to wake her she refused to get up-"

The princess glared at the blonde, "She's lying, I got up as soon as she came and I-"

Cho sighed, pushing back a loose strand of hair, "This palace values perfection, we only employ the best and the hard working," her icy eyes scanned Sakura with contempt, "You don't deserve to work here, get out."

Sakura opened her mouth to retort, but she was beaten to it.

"Miss Cho," a smooth voice said from behind her, all the maids gasped at the sudden arrival, "She is new here. Give her a punishment, but let her stay," the man said kindly, "After all, mistakes do happen."

Sakura's eyes widened as she recognized the man. The head maid also seemed to be surprised at the new arrival, and promptly turned to stare at the handsome man.

The woman sighed, her straight posture was agitated but she seemed to have given in. She turned to glare at Sakura who was surprised at the strict woman's easy defeat.

"Very well," said Cho pursing her lips, before looking at Etsuko, "What work do you have for the rest of the day?"

The blonde quickly answered, "I have to set the new linens in the residential wing."

"You," Cho said, pointing at Sakura, "Will do Etsuko's share of the work and your own. You won't rest or be given supper until you are done. If there are any mistakes in the future, you will be kicked out. Someone show her the residential wing," she said dismissively, before turning out of the room.

The silver haired man who had been leaning silently against the wall stood up straight, "Well come on, I was on my way there."

Sakura nodded, glancing back at the conniving Etsuko who grinned at the pink haired maid. The princess scowled, her fists clenching as she left the warm room. Sakura couldn't believe what a bitch Etsuko was, she knew the blonde was definitely planning something with that coy look on her face, but she could have never imagined it to be this bad.

The pink haired girl stomped alongside the man, following him as he led her through a labyrinth of marble hallways towards the residential wing.

Etsuko must have placed a purple rag or cloth while she wasn't looking and blamed it on Sakura. Why someone would do that didn't make sense to the princess though, she had done nothing wrong to the blond girl, she had barely even talked to her!

"That was interesting."

Sakura threw the man an annoyed look, before sighing, "Thank you for saving me Lord Kakashi, I owe you a lot."

The man crinkled his eyes, "You don't owe me Sakura; however," he said, all humor gone from his voice, "you should be more careful in the future, I won't always be there to save you."

The princess gawked at him, "Surely, you know it wasn't me Lord Kakashi! I'm not that careless."

"Of course, it wasn't you Sakura," he said, stopping in front of a hallway. He looked up at the dark ceiling in silent contemplation, before sighing.

"You see every place has its own type of politics and drama. There is competitiveness and rivalry between palace workers," he said softly, "You need to learn to adapt like you friend Ino."

Sakura clenched her fists in in frustration and anger, "I should have never become princess," she whispered, "Ino was always better than me, she should have been next in line, not me."

Kakashi sighed, "But she's not heir, Sakura, you are," he said, a hand coming back to tilt her face up, "There are qualities about you that you haven't discovered yet."

Sakura stared in his dark eyes, "When will I then?"

The silver haired man chuckled, flicking her forehead, before sticking his hands in his pocket and walking forward, "Not now, that's for sure; I believe you have to change the bed sheets of a hundred or so rooms? Am I right?"

Sakura groaned, pulling on her scratchy bonnet, before suddenly looking up, "Lord Kakashi, wait! How did you get Miss Cho to listen to you?"

Kakashi turned slightly, "Politics, Sakura." With a crinkle of an eye he was gone.

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Sakura sighed entering what seemed to be her twentieth room, or apartment as she would call them. So far, each room she had gone into was huge with large beds, expensive furniture, and a cozy setup. The rooms looked warm themselves, with an abundance of fabric splayed around that almost seemed to trap the heat.

Back home, the decor of her palace was quite the opposite. It was light and airy, because of how warm the south always was. Her room was especially beautiful, with white furniture and a large balcony over looking the ocean.

With one smooth movement Sakura pulled off the bed cover, revealing a bare mattress that had to be dressed in newly washed linens. She wasn't at home in her palace. This was her reality right now.

After finishing the mundane work the princess, sat with a huff on the newly made bed. Ripping off the itchy bonnet that she was still not used to. There was no reason to be wearing it since very few people knew about the Senju Princess's rumored hair color, but Kakashi had told her to wear it anyway. It was too much of a 'distraction' as he had said.

Sakura groaned, she would have never expected any of this to happen; she was supposed to have lived her perfect life with her family. She was worried about her mother, her brother, and all those in the palace.

On top of that she was officially being bullied by the palace workers, it was though she was going through her childhood again. The maids seemed to be mocking her as they passed by. Sakura sighed, maybe Kakashi and Ino were right, maybe she needed to go on the offensive more often.

There was no point in complaining now she supposed. Dusting her apron, Sakura turned to leave, when a slight sparkle caught her attention. Lying innocently on the table was a necklace with a tiny pendant of the Uchiha crest. It's rubies and diamonds glittered in the sunlight causing her to scrunch her brow in confusion...

"What are you doing?" an annoyed voice came from behind her.

Sakura gasped and turned around sharply only to bump into a hard wall, but it wasn't a wall, it was the prince's bare chest.

"I-" the maid said slightly shocked, she backed up until her rear gracelessly bumped into the table causing the pendant to fall. She instinctively caught it before it fell, and nearly lost her balance in the process; however, she was able to make it back to her standing position.

The prince looked at her with his dark, cold eyes that so reminded her of the depths of the ocean: its mysteriousness caused a burning curiosity to well up inside of her. He reached out a pale hand to her and Sakura almost took it to save herself from drowning in his presence, but she knew it was for something else.

The princess guiltily handed him the necklace, before curtsying, "P-prince Sasuke, please forgive me I didn't realize you would be here," she said, adding quickly, "I wasn't going to take the necklace I promise I just didn't know who it belonged to."

He ignored her and instead reached out to pull on a strand of uniquely colored hair, he suddenly dropped it and tilted his head towards his closet, "My shirt."

Sakura nodded and quickly made her way towards his closet, and pulled out a riding shirt that matched his pants. He accepted the top, pulling it over his head gracefully before running a hand through his damp, recently cleaned hair.

He had arrived only a few minutes ago, after having ridden ahead of his escort party. He hadn't wanted to be caught up in all the formal affairs that were attached with his arrival; however, riding quickly after the recent rain resulted in him being splattered with mud.

A knock on the door caused Sasuke to sigh, he glanced at the clumsy woman behind him who seemed to panicking over some trivial manner. He internally tsked before swinging the door open and letting the head maid come in.

"Prince Sasuke, I just learned of your arrival" Miss Cho said curtsying, "I have appointed a hand-maiden to settle you in, this is Etsuko," she said pointing to the pretty blonde who also curtsied.

Sasuke raised a dismissive hand, "That won't be necessary," he said shifting slightly, to reveal the girl behind him.

Both Etsuko and Cho looked in the room and gawked at Sakura. The dark haired man turned to look at the maid as well, who had tied up her hair in an uncomfortable looking bonnet; he narrowed his eyes.

"My prince, she is new and doesn't know the palace very well. She won't be able to serve you properly."

The dark haired prince stared at the head maid, "Then teach her," he remarked before leaving the room to attend to some business.

Sakura could almost feel the glares of the two women standing at the doorway; so much for politics, the laundry princess sighed.

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**Thank you for all your support and love! I haven't edited this so please let me know if you saw any mistakes.**

**QUICK QUESTION**

Blue and black or gold and white? I see both!


	4. Chapter 4

**The Laundry Princess**

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_He lived in darkness..._

"The Senju Princess was found," Kakashi said as his calloused hand scratched the edge of his mask.

"Where?"

The room was a yellow color that seemed to absorb the intruding light from the large windows parallel to the doorway. Light oak furniture was placed around the room, the desk in front of the windows was messy with scattered papers and a large scroll. The style of the room was very similar to that of the Southern Kingdom, especially the palace at the coast.

The silver haired man glanced around his surroundings and concluded that the Prince's late mother had designed it. After all, the Queen Mikoto had always been obsessed with the Senju Kingdom.

"Some of my men found her thrown aside into the river, she must have died from the abuse or drowning," Kakashi suddenly said, returning his attention to the man in front of him.

The Prince shook his head and folded his hands in front of his face, his pale skin glowed in the afternoon light, "How do you know it was her?"

Kakashi tapped his forehead, "Her diamond seal, birthmark of the Senju royal family."

The broody prince stood up and walked to the window, he stared at the dead palace courtyard which was no longer filled with bright flowers or green trees. Sasuke despised color.

"This is highly unlikely," the prince said, causing Kakashi to raise an eyebrow, "If someone were to find the Princess they would sell her back to the Senju Kingdom, not dispose of her."

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, "Either way Sasuke, whether the Princess if alive or dead is of no importance," he paused, "the Senju Kingdom's new ruler would most likely kill the Princess anyway."

"No, he would marry her," the Prince said, turning slightly to face Kakashi, half of his face glowed from the light of the window, "Many of the other kingdoms have not recognized this new power that has overthrown the Senju family, marrying the Princess, the heir, would legitimize their power and allow them to gain recognition."

Silver haired man looked at Sasuke, "Speaking of which, you haven't recognized the new ruler either. You do realize this could lead to invasion."

The dark haired boy returned to his seat, "Even if I do recognize it, this new rule wouldn't stop at trying to conquer our Kingdom. You know why I came here Kakashi."

"Ah," the lord nodded, "Has Naruto given you of any more information?"

Sasuke sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Five families are suspected of being bought over," he pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, "I am holding a banquet in honor of the Southern Families of the Uchiha Kingdom, hopefully this may reconcile relationships."

The silver haired man shook his head, "We both know it would take more than that, right Shikamaru?"

The brown eyed boy dozing on the love chair grumbled at being brought into the conversation. He had been enjoying a nice nap lying on the plush velvet seat, the warm room and the comforting sun that was shining through was perfect for napping. Unfortunately, Lord Hatake had to drag him in.

"Troublesome," he muttered, draping a crooked arm over his eyes, "Parties never appeased anyone Sasuke, money and power do."

The Prince glanced at his friend and then the scroll laying on his desk, "I know."

A gentle knock on the door interrupted the discussion.

"Enter."

A maid, with green eyes and a porcelain tray in her hands that slightly shook because of nervousness or inexperience, entered the room. She glanced around the, her eyes landing on the silver haired lord, before half curtsying.

"I brought tea my Prince, my Lords," she said curtsying again.

Kakashi turned his head slightly to stare at the maid. What on earth was Sakura doing? Why was she here serving the Prince? The silver haired man frowned under his mask, serving the Prince was not a good way of going under cover.

Sakura stared back at Kakashi, disapproval and slight disbelief shining through his eyes as he looked at her. She had been standing outside for the past ten minutes eavesdropping on their conversation. She was grateful for the fake information Kakashi had given the Prince about her whereabouts, she had no idea how she would ever repay him.

Sakura slipped to the side quietly and turned her back towards the three men. She had brought three cups and a large pot of tea that was supposedly from one of the best plantations in the kingdoms. She had secretly tasted some, discovering the flavor to be bland and not at all like the fruity and aroma filled tea she was used to having at home.

"Anyway, Kakashi," the Prince said returning back to business, "Do you know if Queen Tsunade is still alive?"

Kakashi quickly glanced at Sakura's tense back, she had paused slightly in her task before resuming, the slight tremor in her arm was visible.

"I have heard no news yet," the silver haired man said, choosing his words carefully. He watched with steady eyes as Sakura delivered the cup to the prince, before turning to give him his.

Kakashi looked up at the princess while saying his next words, "Though, the Queen wouldn't go down without a fight."

The maid smiled slightly, before moving to give the brown haired man his cup. She picked up the tray and turned leave the room; she curtsied before exiting , glad to finally be leaving.

After she shut the door, Shikamaru placed his tea to the side and stretched his arms.

"The Queen's survival is no longer important, but we must learn from her faults in order to protect ourselves," Shikamaru said, taking a sip, "Firstly, our new enemy was able to gain power because he was able to buy out all the families without the Queen realizing."

Kakashi nodded, "Not only that, but when the Queen had found out about this fact, she made matters worse by severely punishing the families. Those loyal to the families and the invaders worked together to attack and overthrow the Queen."

The brown haired man sighed, "Troublesome. Unlike the Senju clan, these new people do not attack with swords, they attack with something more effective..."

The Prince stared at the scroll in front of him, he dipped his quill in the ink holder and began scratching on the parchment, "Gold."

* * *

"My Prince," a gentle voice said, the door slightly opening.

Sasuke looked up from his desk, the light in the room had faded and was now replaced by a more fitting setting for the Prince. The room was dark, except for a few lit torches that danced in the darkness.

He had around ten letters written, sealed and ready to be delivered on the side of the desk. He was working on the last one now, after he finished it he would finally be able to go to bed.

"What?" he said, irritation slightly lacing his voice, as he recognized his new servant enter with a tray in hand.

"I brought you food," Sakura said sweating slightly at being alone with the dark haired man.

The princess gripped her tray tighter, as the Prince looked up at her, "I'm not hungry," he said dismissively, waving her off before returning to his work.

Sakura hesitated for a moment; she would love to leave, skipping down the hall and away from the stolid prince, but if Miss Cho found out Sakura would definitely receiving a scolding and some form of humiliation.

"B-but my Prince," she said, "You've been working all day today, you even missed lunch."

Sasuke put down his quill to glare at the annoying green eyes servant, "Get out."

Sakura stuck her lip out in irritation as she glared back at the prince. Technically she should leave, it was an order from her Prince, but then on the other hand she didn't want the other maids to find out about her inability to serve the Prince.

"Prince Sasuke," she hesitated, "My mother would always scold me when I never ate my food, she said I would never be able to get anything done if I didn't..." Sakura twitched slightly, she had no idea where she was going with this story.

Sasuke looked at her in confusion for a moment, before rubbing his eyes, and accepting the tray, "Annoying."

At the meantime, Sakura was prepared to bang her head against the wall. She sounded like an old lady trying to reprimand the Prince, _the_ _Prince _like he was a child.

"What's your name?" Sasuke said looking up at the panicking green eyed servant.

"Sakura my Prince," she could afford to tell others her real name, after all it was such a common name that no one would suspect her of being the princess based off of that.

"Sakura what?" the dark eyes man pushed, surveying her with a calculating gaze.

"Sakura Haruno?" she said, more of a question than a statement. She wanted to hit herself.

The Prince stood up, from his chair advancing on the Princess who was now doubting her decision of being kind. She should have just let the handsome, dark Prince starve.

Sasuke grabbed her wrist, while the other hand moved up to effectively get rid off the bonnet she had on her head. Pink locks came spilling out, and Sakura wondered if jumping out the window would be a successful way of dying.

"Where are you from Haruno?" the Prince asked, twirling a strand of pink hair. He was dangerously close to her, and she could almost feel him sucking the oxygen right out of the room; she couldn't breathe.

"I'm from the border, my Prince," she said, stiffing out of the proximity.

He stared at her with dark brooding eyes for a moment, before dropping her as though it burned he returned to his seat, bonnet still in hand, Sakura let out a breathe of air.

"Hm, I suppose your mother or father must have been from the lowly side of the Uzumaki family," he said staring at her hair.

Sakura bit her lip, "I suppose my Prince, I'm an orphan raised in the village shrine." The Princess was quite impressed with her lies, she was getting better at living a fake life.

He twirled her bonnet in his hand, a frown on his face as he turned to stare at her, "What shrine? "

The green eyed maid blinked, this was a tricky question that she would have to answer carefully. Maiden's usually covered their hair under the Fire God's principles, something that Sasuke would definitely kill her for saying, but then again there are some minor gods that did require covering one's hair.

"Okawa Mountain Shrine, the elder there made us cover our heads. After she passed away, many of the girls stopped but I didn't." She said, making up a partially tru story.

The best way to lie was to add as much truth as possible. On her way to the Uchiha Palace, they had gone by the Okawa Mountain Shrine, which was only a few miles off the border.

Sasuke didn't reply just continued staring at her with stormy dark eyes, he threw the bonnet back at her which she caught and put back on her head quickly. Sakura curtsied and nearly ran out of the room, telling the Prince she would come back when he finished his dinner.

She couldn't stand being in that room for a second longer.

* * *

When Sakura eventually returned to the maid's quarters she found two unhappy people waiting for her. Kakashi leaned against the wall in his usual cool and collected manner, while Ino stood in the center of the room, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

"Forehead! What did you do?" The blonde said, her blue eyes now darker in the low moonlight.

Sakura sighed, removing the bonnet from her head and letting her pink locks loose again. The Prince knew of her hair color, yet he probably doesn't know that the Senju Princess also has pink hair. Growing up, very few people were allowed to visit her in the Palace and Sakura never went out; this was her first time away from home, away from her protected bubble.

"I didn't do anything," she sighed, frustrated, "It just happened." .

"Sakura," Kakashi sighed, still leaning against the wall, his hair shined in the silver light, "Try to spend as little time around the Prince as possible."

The blonde snorted, "As if that 's possible, she's his personal servant Kakashi before long she'll become his personal whore."

"Ino!" the Princess said sharply, "That's enough."

The girl rolled her blue eyes, "Oh please, I saw that little exchange between you two. Sakura," Ino said, suddenly becoming serious, "You need to be carefully, please. I've heard rumors about the Prince, why do you think Miss Cho chooses pretty girls to be his personal servant? "

Sakura sighed, "I know, I know, I just- I'll try to avoid him."

Kakashi looked at her uncertainly, "Be careful."

The man peeled himself off the wall to leave the small cramped room, before turning suddenly to look back at the shaking Princess. He waked up to her, two sturdy hands on her shoulders, crinkling an eye.

"Don't worry Sakura, you'll be home soon."

* * *

** Lady Rini- I do watch GoT lol, but this story is a mash up of a bunch of books and shows I watch. I was in AP World, so a lot of my info comes out of what I learned. I mixed in chinese, and british, and etc. stuff to create this story's foundation. :))**

**QUICK QUESTION**

**What is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything? ****What's at the end of the universe? **If someone answers this right, let be friends! :D


	5. Chapter 5

**The Laundry Princess**

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_but he had found a light..._

Sakura sighed as she picked up the clothes that were thrown onto the floor, she wanted to vomit from the musky smell of sex that was still in the room. Apparently the Prince had a late night, and his toy was still slumbering in his bed while he took a bath.

Sakura had been awoken by one of the maids and was told to immediately go change the Prince's bed sheets. But it had apparently been too early in the morning, and remainders of the Prince's activities were still freshly imprinted. She glanced at the sleeping girl wrapped in blue silk sheets, the same sheets she was supposed to change.

She was pretty whoever she was, with dark brown hair and a long face. Sakura blushed at the bruises that were littered around her neck, and instead chose to move to open the balcony door and air out the room.

It was still chilly in the morning and streaks of an orange sunrise painted the cloudy gray sky. Sakura took in a deep breathe and then slowly exhaled. Working at the palace took everything out of her. She felt drained of all her energy, her once smooth hands were calloused, and scratches marred her skin. Part of her troubles were caused by the constant derision and pranks she had to face from the other hateful maids.

She never understood what their problem was, apparently being the Prince's personal maid was an honor to most, but for Sakura it was a burden. Prince Sasuke was picky and arrogant, his goal in life seemed to be making her feel uncomfortable. He was constantly pulling off her bonnet and revealing her pink hair, one day he had even thrown it out the window, causing Sakura to sneak her way back to her room with a towel concealing her hair.

The pink haired girl sighed and leaned against the railing one hand cupping the side of her cheek as she closed her eyes to enjoy the peacefulness. She had always taken her life for granted, all the things she had were gone now, but in a way this loss was causing her to notice the little things in life.

"It's beautiful," someone mumbled beside her.

Sakura jumped from the sudden intrusion, only to realize the Prince had come to stand beside her. She curtsied immediately, but Sasuke didn't seem to notice, instead his eyes were trained somewhere far in the distance.

Sakura decided he was ignoring the usual formalities for once, and nodded, "It is."

Silence crept between them, but it was surprisingly comfortable. Standing next to the Prince she did feel slightly intimidated, but the feeling was squashed when she realized that her status was the same as his.

Maybe it was because of her situation or her natural lack of self-confidence, but Sakura often felt smaller than she should. She was a Princess, heir to the Southern Kingdom, which was as powerful as the Uchiha Kingdom. It's true that she had lost her throne, she had lost her name, but being a leader was something that came from the heart. She just needed to discover it, she needed to find her strength.

Sakura released a breathe of air she didn't realize she was holding, effectively gaining the Prince's attention. Dark eyes studied her features before returning to the landscape before them.

"You're from the border," he said, more to himself than to her. Sakura nodded anyway, glancing at the dark Prince.

He closed his eyes briefly before turning fully towards her, "Tell me, what do you know about the Senju Kingdom?"

Sakura bit her lip and rotated herself slightly towards him, but refused to meet his eyes. Her response would need to be carefully planned, it would need to follow the fake story she had come up for herself.

"Well, the head Priestess didn't let us go out that often, but we did know a lot about the tensions going on," she said now looking far away, "It happened so suddenly that no one would have suspected anything to be amiss. One day the Senju family was strong, the next it had fallen..."

It happened at night; she had be awoken from her hazy sleep and quickly stripped of her silky night gown into a rough peasant outfit. Sakura had no idea what had been going on then, she had been tossed and thrown into different wagons and secret passages. Always told to keep quite and not say a word, that she, the Princess and the heir, needed to stay alive for the future.

"The Queen was a fool," Sasuke muttered a slight frown marring his face, but the maid shook her head.

"No, it's not all her fault," Sakura said, but suddenly sealed her mouth shut. She could get punished for defying the Prince, however the Uchiha looked at her expectantly, almost encouraging her to go on.

"If you think about it, it would take a lot more than money to turn these families," she said tapping her finger on the railing, "If an outside power had come into the Senju kingdom and had begun bribing them with gold, the Queen would have found out," Sakura paused to intake a breathe, "The real rebellion occurred from within."

Sasuke looked at her curiously, "So,.. you're saying that the group that toppled the Senju kingdom isn't what we think it is. It's someone from the inside."

She nodded it was the only thing Sakura could think of. There had been no accounts or news of any rival group coming into the kingdom, and she knew for sure that many of the families were loyal to her mother. Such a great rebellion could have only been orchestrated from within.

The Prince looked into the distance, "That makes sense..." he paused turning towards her, "How do you know such things?"

Sakura examined his expression, for the first time he wasn't asking her with suspicion merely curiosity. The maid quickly whipped up a story, "We have worshipers from all around the kingdoms, so I have heard many different theories. This one made the most sense."

Sheets rustled from somewhere behind them causing Sakura to jump in surprise and then embarrassment at the moan coming from the bed. She quickly glanced at the Prince who seemed more annoyed than anything.

Sasuke walked steadily inside, opening his wardrobe, and retrieving his usual top. Sakura moved forward to help him dress, but the Prince raised a hand.

"Get my breakfast to my office, and get her out of here," he said jerking his head to the girl stirring on the bed, before leaving the room.

Sakura reluctantly moved to the bed and reached to shake the woman's shoulder, careful to avoid the bite marks that littered her skin on one side. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing mesmerizing dark purple orbs.

She scanned Sakura, looking her up and down with suspicion from her foggy state of sleep, before stretching. Covers fell from her body indecently, revealing her chest and pooling around her hips. The princess instantly jumped, turning her back towards the woman tangled in the sheets, her face matching the color of her hair.

"I-I-I'm," Sakura started, unable to finish because of her embarrassment at the scene behind her.

The woman's tinkling laugh met her ears, "How sweet," she said in a rough voice, but Sakura didn't catch any malice behind her words.

The maid could hear the woman shift around behind her, most likely picking up and wearing her clothes. A tired sigh left her lips as the woman gently poked Sakura's shoulder.

"I'm all dressed now," she said, purple eyes dancing with mischievousness. The maid nodded, glancing at the dress the lady was wearing, confirming her suspicion of the woman's identity.

She laughed again noticing Sakura's analysis, "I'm from a brothel near here, the name's Kaori," she grinned wrapping and arm down the maid's neck and leaning to whisper in the girl's ear, "What's your name?"

The maid flinched at the closeness, "Sakura."

Kaori pulled back at laughed, "Nice to meet you Sakura," she said frowning at the mess around the room, "I suppose you'll have to clean all of this up now," she said at the soiled bed sheets.

The pink haired girl nodded looking at the other woman. She didn't seem like she was from the North, her skin was slightly tanned and Sakura knew for sure that eyes of that color could only belong to the South, or the Western Kingdoms.

Kaori noticed her outward staring and grinned, "I am from the South," she said, leaning forward, "Just like you, though my blood is a bit mixed up from here and there."

She flowed around the room like air, drinking in the small details and leaving her own slight unique scent wherever she went. Sakura watched as she swaggered on with confidence and bright eyes. Sitting down with one leg crossed, the side of her dress revealed the silky smooth skin that reached up dangerously to the side of her thigh. The deep plunging neck line of her dress shifted as Kaori clapped.

"Now then, little miss maid, time to clean up," she said inspecting her nails, "I don't do this very often, but I will keep you company," she said with a grin.

Sakura raised an eyebrow but didn't bother replying, she would have preferred it if the girl had left. Sighing, she supposed it wasn't that big a burden, in fact she could extract more knowledge about the Uchiha Kingdom and the North from the girl.

"How long have you been here Kaori?" Sakura said dragging the bed sheets back.

The woman leaned back in the love seat, "Not very long, a month or so."

"You were in the South before? How was it there?" the maid asked feigning indifference.

Kaori sighed, "Crazy really. There's a curfew and Marshall law. A customer told me that soldiers are all around the streets, but these soldiers are different. They're brainwashed, he had said, no identity, no nothing. They apparently belong to some religious sect."

The pink haired scrunched her eyebrows, so the capital was being tightly regulated now. It was no surprise in all honestly, the regime was making sure that no one would try to restore the Senju family, but she had never heard of this religious group.

"What sect?"

The purple eyed girl tilted her head, "You haven't hear of it, this new regime kidnapped children and turned them into tools: they're the perfect soldiers, with no morals to hold them back."

Sakura shivered, how could this have happened under her mother's watch. Whoever planned this was cunning and sly, hiding ever detail from the Queen. Most importantly, this would have taken years to accomplish. Creating soldiers for this purpose would mean the rebellion took at least twenty or more years to plan. Only someone wealthy and with strong political power could have done this, but who?

"Have you, have you heard anything about the Queen?" she asked clearing her throat.

Kaori looked at her curiously, "Not specifically, I've heard many things but..." she hesitated, "They don't seem true."

Sakura nodded, turning to look at the girl, before returning to her task, "And um, do you come to the palace often?

Kaori smiled, "This is my first time actually, Sasuke doesn't like having the same girl every time," the woman laughed when she saw Sakura's face, "Sweet thing, you're his maid you'll be meeting many of us in his chambers."

The maid sighed pulling up the covers of the bed, "Wonderful," she mumbled causing Kaori to laugh again.

Sakura tilted her head towards the other woman, it was strange seeing someone so happy especially knowing her line of work. She didn't know much about brothels, but Sakura had always assumed that it was a dreary place and the women were unhappy. But here sat Kaori, laughing at every little thing.

The woman noticed Sakura's curiosity again and gave her a small smile, "I like you," she said standing up to walk towards the maid, she pulled a strand of pink hair that had fallen from her bonnet.

Green eyes widened as Kaori examined her face intensely, a knowing grin stretched along her lips as she tucked the strand back in and swayed to the door.

Sakura was alone again.

* * *

The day was warm and sleepy, and the whole Palace seemed to move in slow motion. Sakura sighed as she held a tray of tea and pushed open the door to the Prince's office. However, she was met with a very different man.

"Oh," Sakura said looking around the room, "Lord Kakashi," she mumbled with a curtsy.

"Sakura," the silver haired man said standing up from his seat in front of the Prince's desk, "How have you been?"

The girl gave him a tired smile, "Alright I suppose, would you like some?"

Kakashi crinkled his eye and nodded. Placing the tray in her usual spot, Sakura prepared a cup of tea and handed it over to the masked Lord. He accepted it with a thank you, but it set it aside on the table.

"Sakura," he spoke, looking at the standing girl who had moved back. It caused a pang of guilt whenever he saw her in the hallways, carrying clothes or doing dirty work not meant for a royal. This was all new to her, the traveling, the work, the colloquial lifestyle.

Something in his voice must have given his thoughts away, because Sakura gave him a small smile.

"I just wish I could do something to help. My mother, I haven't seen her, I don't know what's happened..." she said, eyes watering with tears that threatened to spill.

She hadn't done anything to save her mother, and she wasn't doing anything now to save her either, just sitting around and scrubbing floors. Sakura clutched the hem of her apron and closed her eyes, her family, her home, her Kingdom were all snatched away from her, and all she did was watch.

"Right now," Kakashi said standing up and placing both hand on her shoulders, "The only thing that matter is your safety."

"Why?" Sakura said wrenching away from him in anger, "I can't do anything to help them!" she shouted, missing Kakashi's cautious glance at the door.

He moved towards her again, and spoke in a quieter tone, "Yet. You can't do anything yet. Sakura be patient, listen and learn. Everything has a time, and your time will come."

The girl looked at the masked Lord in front of her and sighed, releasing the hold of her dress as she looked dejectedly at the floor. She was so foolish, screaming her identity in the Prince's office, not to mention Kaori in the morning had definitely knew something about her real identity. Closing her eyes she took a deep breathe in and let it out, steeling her resolve.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said turning away from, "I'm so stupid."

Kakashi laughed, stepping closer to grab her chin and tilt her head so their eyes met, seriousness replacing his previous mirth, "Sakura you need to survive, not just for yourself but for your Kingdom."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something before the door smashed open.

To her absolute horror the Prince and a brown haired man, she had learned called Shikamaru, walked in, their conversation turning stale once they saw the duo. Sakura squeaked and jerked back releasing her chin from Kakashi's gasp, and curtsied deeply.

"My Prince, my Lord, I brought tea," she said quickly, turning towards the tray and preparing two more cups.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow but moved towards his usual seat anyway, followed by the Prince who had seemed to ignore the position. The silver haired man crinkled his eye and returned to his seat, watching as Sakura delivered the cups. The tension in the room caused by the awkward silence released as she scurried out, shutting the door behind her.

"It seems your reputation is beginning to leak out Kakashi," Shikamaru drawled from his seat.

The silver haired man scratched his mask and smiled at the other lord, "Well, I was merely commenting on how pretty her eyes were. The color of new buds in spring, did you know her name was Sakura? Quite fitting for her-"

"Enough," Sasuke grumbled from his desk, folding his arms in front of his mouth, "We have actual work to do."

Shikamaru sighed, "We spoke to Naruto today," mumbling troublesome quietly to himself.

"Any news?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"There is something interesting in the Southern Kingdoms."

The silver haired man raised an eyebrow, "Explain."

Sasuke turned to face the window, "They call themselves Root, apparently belonging to an old belief that everyone began from a single origin and everyone should be the same, equals. They've turned this religion into a military power producing identical soldiers that listen to orders with out hesitation."

Kakashi's eyes widened, and Shikamaru continued, "These soldiers have taken over the Senju capital."

"This... this must have taken years to plan," the silver haired man said.

Sasuke sighed, remembering his conversation from the morning, "They'll come from the inside."

Kakashi nodded his head, "So, the ball?"

It was burden and a complete waste of money to be holding a ball in honor of the southern families of the Uchiha Kingdom. But it needed to be done, he would have to win back their loyalty somehow and stroking their ego seemed to be the best way. Families were traveling from all over to stay at the palace for one week and enjoy the festivities of the ball. Sasuke sighed in annoyance.

"Yes," the Prince said, "I sent out invitations, it will take place one month from now. I've already alerted the head maid here."

Shikamaru stood stretching his limbs with a large yawn, "Well, this should be interesting."

* * *

She hadn't expected to be summoned so late at night to the Prince's office. Sakura sighed rubbing her tired eyes, her whole body ached from work, and now she was sleep deprived. Knocking the door Sakura stood in front of the office, her mind half awake.

"Enter," a muffled deep voice said from inside.

She opened the door slowly, cringing at its creaking before quietly shutting the it. The room was dark with orange light of flames filling its corners; the Prince sat parallel to her, his dark hair blending in with the night sky behind him.

"My Prince," Sakura curtsied, not daring to look up at his eyes.

She could feel him watching her, piercing into her, calculating and analyzing everything.

"Take it off," he said sternly.

Sakura stilled for a bit, misunderstanding him, before pulling the scratchy bonnet from her head. Every time they met he would make her take the bonnet off, but this time he looked at her strangely. Sakura swallowed thickly, what if Kaori said something to him about her identity. She fought the urge to flinch when he stood and advanced towards her, causing her to back up until she hit the wooden door.

She didn't understand the man, this morning he had been acting courteous but now he had completely changed. She sucked in a breathe and turned to look at the wall on her left as he came uncomfortably close.

"I'm curious," he said, breath fanning on her face, "about your hair."

The girl's stomach flipped out of anxiety and fear, he knew. He had to know. But if he did, she promised to go down like a true Princes.

"What about it?" Sakura said turning to look at him directly in the eye.

He reached behind her grabbing a fistful and tilted her head up so his mouth barely brushed her chin.

"I've never heard of anyone with pink hair, I've never seen anyone with pink hair."

Sasuke searched her eyes for an answer, taking a step closer pushing her personal bubble to extreme limits.

"What were you doing with Kakashi?" he asked suddenly, head tilting deviously. Sakura swallowed dryly, her hands coming up to gently push the Prince away, however he didn't budge.

"He was merely asking me questions," she said, staying away from a specific topic. She seemed to have said the right thing, for the Prince let go of her and walked back to his desk.

"I have some matters to discuss with you," he said nodding, motioning her to follow, "Sit."

Sakura sucked in a deep breathe of air, closing her eyes, before sitting down in the seat in front of the Prince. She clasped her hands in her lap, and looked up to catch the Prince's eyes staring at her intently.

"You have probably heard of the ball," he said, not waiting for Sakura to reply, "And knowing the situation in the South, there is a high chance I will be targeted. Therefore, I need you to stay close. You will be preparing my meals, tending to my needs, and doing everything else. That way if I do die, it will be placed on you."

The maid clenched her jaw to prevent it from dropping, and instead nodded tensely. In a way it made sense, by preparing his food and other such things, there was a low chance of him being poisoned or any other such things.

"I will also need you to run errands for me, and possibly spy on some of the guests that will be staying for the ball."

Now Sakura looked at his suspiciously, where was all this trust coming from.

The Prince looked at her and smirked knowingly, "I know who you really are. Kakashi told me."

The Princess's heart clenched and as her eyes widened. There was no way the silver haired man betrayed her, he was loyal to her family, or at least to her father. Kakashi owed her father, he had vowed to take care of her when the kingdom fell, there was no way he would have given her away.

"You're his spy," he said smirk growing, "After the meeting he told me the real reason why you were there, you're a member of the Hatake family. Your pink hair makes sense now, I was right about the Uzumaki part."

Sakura's mind blanked in shock, but she was able to clear it soon enough to figure out the situation. Sasuke thought she was Kakashi's relative of some sort, and that she was working for the silver haired man as a spy. Sasuke trusted Kakashi, and because Kakashi trusted her, Sasuke trusted her. Which meant she would be doing Sasuke's dirty work and finding out more information.

Sakura nodded. It was genius really. The silver haired man was giving her the chance to gain more information about the people who had taken over her kingdom, and, at the same time, had effectively covered her identity.

"But," the Prince said standing up, "I don't trust you completely, yet. So I'll be watching you," he said eyeing her before turning around.

Sakura stood up "My Prince, I look forward to working with you."

It was time to get her kingdom back.

* * *

**Now that I am free I can finally update all my stories. My writing isn't that good this time because I wanted to publish this quickly. So I will probably come back and refine this later. **

**BETA NEEDED- PLEASE PM ME**

**Analysis: **

**ROOT: **Kaori and Sakura, and later Sasuke and everyone else are talking about the same group, the Root soldiers. I just wanted to make it clear how both parties obtained the same information from different sources and how it compares to their social status. Sasuke has spies, but the maids and Kaori feed from farmers, customers, travelers.

**QUICK QUESTION**

Tell me a story: Once upon time there was a little shit that...


	6. Chapter 6

**The Laundry Princess**

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_to make his own. _

"Oh my god," Ino exclaimed from the entryway of their small shared room. She grasped the side of the door frame and gasped at the destruction that had suspiciously only taken place on Sakura's side of the bed.

The Princess sighed and pulled at the mess that was left of her mattress. It was sheared and cut; the wooly stuffing from the inside had spilled out and some of it was floating in the air. Thankfully she had kept most of her other goods in a chest that was under lock and key, otherwise Sakura didn't doubt that all her possessions would have ended up in this shredded state.

They had just returned from breakfast and it was still early in the morning. The sun had yet to rise and the sky was a comforting sort of gray that signaled the beginning of a new day.

The pink haired girl ran a hand through her hair, and crouched by her bed. It made sense now, why the other maids seemed to be throwing glances at her and snickering all through out breakfast.

"Wonderful," Sakura groaned, taking the mattress off the bed, "It's completely useless now, how am I supposed to sleep?"

Ino shrugged, moving to help her friend sweep balls of stuffing scattered on the ground. The blonde considered offering her bed for both of them to share, but if the other maids found out about it, Ino's bed would meet the same faith as Sakura's.

"I suppose you'll have to sleep on the frame," Ino said, patting the uncomfortable spot that would be Sakura's unfortunate faith.

Green eyed girl ignored her friend and continued to gather the shreds of her mattress that was left behind. She had no idea how the other maids had been able to do such a thing, especially since they tended to work around the clock. She was sure that Miss Cho probably knew about the whole situation and had even allowed the other girls to do it.

Sakura glanced at her friend briefly before returning to her task. Ino was in better terms with Miss Cho than any other maids, but she would probably lose that privilege if she asked the old lady to help Sakura out.

Sakura was sure the blonde girl she had worked with, Etsuko, had been the reason for trouble. The mischievous blonde was quite influential among the other maid; her reign of fear and ability to manipulate the others, is probably why all the other maids seemed to have turned against Sakura. Only a couple of the older ones, and Ayame, the girl she met on the first day, seemed indifferent to the situation. Apparently it happens quite often.

The pink haired girl bit her lip in frustration. Jealousy was an odd thing; anger, greed, and revenge all mixed in one powerful concoction that would leave someone in trouble. And looking at the situation she was in with the other maids, Sakura was about to be either kicked out or worse.

She scowled at the thought, it was all thanks to a certain Prince who had left all the other maids jealous. They probably thought that being with the Prince so often and in such close quarters would cause love to bloom, and possibly a chance at marrying one of the world's most eligible bachelors. She repressed a snort at that thought.

Who in the right mind would want to marry the Prince. Other than being good looking, rich, and, well, a Prince, as a person he was a complete ass hole, as commoners would say. Sakura frowned at the memory of yesterday night.

She had been so close to being caught, her heart beat faster at the thought. Kakashi had not only covered for her, but had even given her the opportunity to find out more information about the rebellion and the state of her family.

"Sakura," Ino touched her shoulder, causing the Princess to jump, "Come on," the blonde sighed, "I'll figure this situation out, alright? I might be able to put something together. You should probably give the Prince his breakfast, go on now shoo," she waved her hand towards the door.

Sakura nodded, dusting herself off before looking at her friend, a serious glint in her gaze, "Thank you, Ino, for everything I mean."

The blonde's eyes widened, before nodding with a small smile, "Of course Sakura, I'll always be loyal to you," she said, both hands on the other maid's shoulders, "Remember that."

With a nod the girl walked out of the room and towards the kitchens to grab the usual breakfast tray she would deliver to the prince. She left the dingy quarters of the maids which was stationed in the lower corner of the palace, but close enough to ask for service.

There were two kitchens in the palace, a small one located near the royal family's private dining room and the other underneath the Grand Hall for easy access to food during banquets.

Till now the smaller kitchen had been used, since the only people that ate in the palace were those who worked there and an occasional lord who passed by. Now, however, they've begun cleaning out the larger kitchen for a ball the Prince is apparently hosting.

She glanced around as the hallways of the servant quarters opened up to large white marble hallways, with chandeliers swinging from above and tall banners with the Uchiha crest hanging proudly from the sides.

A group of maid scurried by her, trying to find out where they were and how to reach their destination. They were new workers, both for the kitchens and the gardens, everything was being spruced up for the ball.

Sakura smiled slightly at the thought. If she were back home and they were having a banquet at her palace, this whole month would have been spent researching and trying on dresses; she would be prettying herself up for the next few days and meeting possible suitors who came to see her hand.

"Hey, it's you," a voice said from somewhere behind her, causing Sakura to turn.

"Lord Shikamaru," Sakura said with a curtsy.

The brown haired man sighed, "So you're Kakashi's little spy huh?"

He had been surprised when Sasuke had told him the news, but the puzzle pieces fit well enough, maybe too well.

"Come on," he said waving his hand, not listening for or caring if the girl responded to his question, "Sasuke's having a meeting and he needs you."

Sakura's eyes widened behind Shikamaru's back, "Uh, my lord, I had to get breakfast for the Prince..."

The brown haired man groaned, "Troublesome, we had some other maid deliver it," he said tilting his head slightly back to look at her as the walked, "I guess I'm lucky I caught you on my smoke break," he said with a shrug.

He cleared his throat, "So tell me, are you really from a shrine?"

Sakura swallowed. After her talk with Sasuke last night, Kakashi had come into her and Ino's room to review the new story they had created. They had smoothed out the details and figured out a new plan based off this new twist.

"I'm a bastard of the Hatake family," Sakura started, "I was born during, and my mother died shortly after. Lord Kakashi was there and he decided to drop me off at the safest place, the shrine, and now I'm here."

Shikamaru let out a low whistle, "A bastard of the Hatake family is rare, especially since the war killed the whole family off."

Sakura shivered at the thought. Around seventeen years ago the war between the Kingdom of Suna, the Uchiha kingdom, and the Senju Kingdom, had reached a terrible peak where millions died. Including her father...

She gripped the side of her apron and shook her head at the thought. She needed a clear mind if she was going to speak with the Prince, this was her chance to extract as much information as she could.

Shikamaru walked into the office, leaving her to close the large wooden doors behind her. She took a deep breathe before entering the spacey room, where the Prince sat in the middle working on some papers. Streaks of yellow had begun to enter the room as the sun began to rise, however it was still early enough in the morning that candles were required.

Sakura moved in front of her prince, curtsying as she watched the Prince continue to work.

"I'm going to brief you about the situation," he spoke, his head still bowed, eyes covered by his black bangs.

"After the fall of the Senju kingdom, Lords of my Kingdom, specifically those along the border, began showing signs of disloyalty. It started off with small arguments about taxes but recently my spies have noticed larger blemishes like goods being transferred to the southern kingdom with out any records of the transactions."

He paused briefly to dip his quill back in the ink jar, before continuing, "You were right, about the rebellion being internal. We don't know the name of the new leader, yet, but you were right."

Sakura nodded looking towards the floor to gather her thoughts. So far she knew that her kingdom had been over thrown from within, and whoever this new power was, they had a huge, brainwashed military known as Root. Apparently this new regime had begun working its way up to the Uchiha Kingdom as well.

"Basically," Shikamaru said with yawn, "we need you to collect as much information as you can from the guests when they arrive. There's still a month to go, but the town has already started becoming active, find out as much as you can and tell us everything. Rumors and whatever," he said with a wave of his hand.

The lazy man got up, throwing Sasuke a knowing look, before walking out the door, "I've got some clouds that need watching."

The prince and princess were alone now. The silence wasbearable, until Sasuke decided to look up from his work and directly make eye contact with her. Sakura didn't know what it was about the prince that gave her so much anxiety.

Maybe it was his looks, striking, dark, tall with and amazing body as she would know first hand, or maybe it was his dark past and the brooding front he put up. Having lost so much at such a young age probably caused Sasuke to be the man he was today, but something told Sakura that it wasn't his personality. It was his eyes. The way they pierced through her and new everything.

Sakura sighed and removed her bonnet.

From his desk the prince rose an eyebrow, hiding smirk behind his folded hands, "I never said anything."

She shrugged, stuffing the garment in her apron's pocket, "You would have sooner or later," she said, controlling her urge to roll her eyes.

"Sit," he ordered, jerking his head slightly to the vacant seat in front of him.

Sakura sighed and sat down with a huff, as she looked on expectantly towards Sasuke. The Prince instead stood and turned to look out the window, causing a long silence to envelop them again.

She glanced at Sasuke and then leaned forward to examine the contents of his desk. There were neatly stacked papers for the most part, but a few scrolls lay scattered and opened revealing their information.

Most of it was costs for the ball that needed his approval: how much food would cost, getting the rooms cleaned, and hiring help. Sakura raised her eyebrow at how much they were spending on alcohol the palace was obviously being over charged, but the girl could care less.

"Regarding our conversation yesterday," the Uchiha royal said suddenly, causing Sakura to move back in her seat quickly. He turned to look at her curiously from the sudden rustling of her clothes, but ignored it and went back to stare back out the window.

"I need you to begin preparing my food and drinks for me. You will do my laundry, clean my room, and do anything I ask of you. You will stay by my side at all times to make sure I am out of danger," he finished, turning to look at her.

"B-but my Prince," she hesitated playing with her apron, "I have other chores, and with the ball coming up Miss Cho will need me to-"

Sasuke held his hand up causing her to quite down, "I will let her know about my decision."

The girl bit her lip and turned her gaze back into her lap, hands fidgeting. She knew the prince wants her close for his safety, but the way he had put it now made it seem as though she would never leave his side.

He could sense the hesitation in her body language, she obviously was not looking forward to spending most of her day with him. Sasuke inwardly sighed and ran a hand through his hair, before a set of mumbled words hit his ears.

"What," Sasuke demanded looking at her strangely.

"I can't cook very well," she said shyly, throwing the Prince a quick glance, "I'm actually quite terrible."

The man sighed and sat back down in his seat, resting the side of his face in one hand, "You're a woman and can't cook?" he said raising an eyebrow.

The pink haired girl looked up suddenly and frowned, "Cooking has nothing to do with gender, I mean if you look at the Palace chef he's a man," she said huffing with annoyance.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat, overlooking her disrespectful tone for now, "Yes, I know. But you're from a shrine, or so you say you are, I'm sure you've had cooking duties or were at least taught how to."

Sakura tilted her head, "Well I was, but I was never good," she licked her lips in fear as annoyance replaced the Prince's face, "but my lack of cooking skills are covered by other things."

He raised an eyebrow, which Sakura took as a motion to go on, "Well, my-" _mother_ Sakura's voice caught as she re-winded her train of thought, "I mean, Lord Kakashi, made sure I learned how to fight. And I also trained under the oracle, so I know a few things about healing," _and poisons, _she added on in her head.

Sasuke let out a silent snort as he stood from his seat, "You're saying you can fight."

Sakura replied with a nod and swallowed thickly at the smirk he gave her. He slowly made made his way towards the front of his desk, and leaned against the edge as he stared at her; his gaze was piercing as always but for the first time Sakura could sense something mischievous hidden behind them.

She scrunched her eyebrows in worry, had she seriously been around him that much that she could actually understand his subtle emotions.

Her thoughts suddenly cleared as he moved, a hand coming to move a pink strand away from her face. Much to her surprise though, rather than retracting his hand he continued to comb through her hair, until it inched towards the back of her head and roughly grasped at her strands.

Her eyes widened, and she could feel her heart pick up as he pulled her closer and then bent over from his position, his lips ghosting over her own causing Sakura to reflexively jerk only to be pulled back from his hold on her hair.

"You know you aren't very pretty," he whispered near her ear, his breathe tickling her skin. The meaning behind his words helped her repress a shiver that seemed to hit her to the core.

"Jee, thanks," she breathed out, rolling her eyes as her hands came to fist the collar of his shirt and hopefully pull him away from invading her space. The action only seemed to annoy him as he placed one knee by the side of her leg, his hand pulled back her head more to inspect her face.

He frowned at her disrespectful response, "You know, if you weren't helping me I would have you punished for rolling your eyes," he said in a husky tone wrapped with the danger of his threat.

Sakura let out an air as she daringly stared back at him, her green eyes challenging him just as much as he was challenging her. She was close enough to see the dark blue hues that were specked in his iris, and a deeper red that seemed to be hidden behind them, kept locked until his temper was completely broken. Sasuke pulled his face back with a smirk, giving Sakura some room to breathe, but his body remained half on top of her.

A pale hand reached out to grab a pink lock as he examined it with a look of disgust, "And I hate your hair, such an obnoxious color," he said his brow furrowing in irritation.

"But something about you," he said tilting his head. He didn't bother continuing with words, but a look on his face seemed to complete the sentence well enough.

Sakura mouth dried, and she quickly closed her eyes, as she felt one of his hands slip up to the collar of her dress. Using all her strength she stood up, causing the chair to fall back and Sasuke to move away from her in surprise.

"I'm sorry, but I don't like doing these things. I'm- I'm not that type of girl."

She blushed, but never broke eye-contact. Sasuke stared at her for a moment, before rolling his eyes and returning to his desk.

"Tch, annoying," he muttered, sitting down elegantly.

He shifted through a few papers, before tossing her a key that she easily caught.

"Your new room, right below mine."

Sakura's mouth nearly dropped, it would be completely improper of her to switch rooms so close to the royal residence wing. She may have been princess, but as for right now she was just a common maid. Fiddling with her keys, however, she decided against voicing her opinion, after all it would probably be better if she got a new room away from the other maids.

"Another thing," he said, observing her, "Tomorrow, I have a few important guests coming at night, you will be serving us. But, before then we're going into town under disguise. You're dismissed."

He returned to work and ignored her as if she wasn't there. Still, Sakura bowed, and walked out the room, mentally preparing herself for tomorrow.

* * *

**I haven't updated in a long time!** **But since I had posted a new chapter of Koishii, I was like meh, I might as well update this. **

**Enjoy!**


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